


(Very) Late Bloomer

by Blizzard_Fire



Series: ThorBruce Week 2019 [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (sorry I love him really), Alcohol, Avengers Family, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Clint Barton is a Little Shit, Domestic Avengers, Drinking Games, Drunken Shenanigans, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Never Have I Ever, Protective Thor (Marvel), ThorBruce Week, ThorBruce Week 2019, Tipsy Bruce, brief mentions of Bruce's bad childhood, but it's happy i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-24 06:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21333922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzard_Fire/pseuds/Blizzard_Fire
Summary: 'You've never been kissed?' says Tony.Bruce blinks, and realises too late that he didn't take a drink. 'Uh, no.'He's met with stunned silence. Steve looks awkward. Nat looks sympathetic. Thor looks... almost disappointed.But Clint laughs. 'Very funny Banner, drink up.'Tony leans forward, his eyes a little unfocused. 'No wait, you're serious, aren't you?'Bruce has never been kissed. Thor offers to change that.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Thor
Series: ThorBruce Week 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1524101
Comments: 11
Kudos: 258
Collections: Thorbruce Week 2019





	(Very) Late Bloomer

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Storm/Breath" for ThorBruce Week 2019.
> 
> Apologies to the Clint fans, he's a bit of a meanie in this one. But I love him really.

It's Clint's idea to play never have I ever, but it's Tony who spoils the evening.

'You keeping up there, Cap?' He smirks behind his glass.

Steve, who isn't affected by alcohol, just smiles. 'You're just bitter because I can drink you under the table.'

Bruce catches Thor's eye and they share an amused look. It's the first "team bonding" they've had in a while, and although Bruce's drink of choice is a mild cider, he's still pleasantly fogged. He hasn't let his defences down this much in years. Right now he's trying not to stare at Thor too much.

Steve leans back, smiling. 'Never have I ever... been taken to the ER because I tried to build a flying sex machine.'

'Oh fuck you, that was ages ago.' With a roll of his eyes, Tony gulps his drink whilst the others laugh. 'Okay, fine. Just for that, you can all take a drink. I'm taking you bastards down with me. Never have I ever been kissed.'

Everyone groans and takes a drink along with Tony. Everyone except Bruce, who feels his heart sink. It's not something he's proud of. Forty-one years old and he got his seventh PhD before he got his first kiss. He's learnt to live with it, and since the other guy arrived he's made peace with the fact that he'll probably never have one. But tonight, just when he'd let his guard down...

'You've never been kissed?' says Tony.

Bruce blinks, and realises too late that he didn't take a drink. 'Uh, no.'

He's met with stunned silence. Steve looks awkward. Nat looks sympathetic. Thor looks... almost disappointed.

But Clint laughs. 'Very funny Banner, drink up.'

Tony leans forward, his eyes a little unfocused. 'No wait, you're serious, aren't you?'

Bruce's tongue swells up in his mouth. 'I don't - um, I mean -'

'Oh my god he _is!'_ Clint bursts into fits of giggles. 'No way! I'm sorry dude but that is fucking hilarious. Aren't you one of the greatest minds of this century, no chicks wanna tap that?'

The warm fuzzy feeling Bruce has been harboring in his chest turns icy cold.

'Or - I mean, c'mon your dick can grow five sizes, you got the best of both worlds!'

'Barton,' said Nat sharply, 'knock it off.'

'Sorry, sorry.' He presses his lips together, eyes shining. 'That's so precious. Oh my god Bruce I just wanna wrap you in a blanket and protect you from everybody.'

Not even Tony is sticking up from him this time. Whilst he isn't joining in, he's smirking alongside Clint as he pours himself another glass.

Bruce stands up and bashes his shin on the coffee table. His heart is pounding in his ears, and with a thrill of fear he realises the other guy has shifted inside him, scenting his rising anger. He stumbles out of the room, ignoring the shouts that follow him.

The storm rumbles outside. They'd spent the evening getting progressively drunker, raising voices over the rumble of thunder. Bruce hurries down the corridor until he finds a bathroom and locks himself in a cubicle.  
  
A minute later, Thor knocks on the door. 'Bruce?'

'I'm fine,' Bruce croaks. 'Just... need to go easy on the drink for a while.' It's not a lie; he does feel a little nauseous. And apparently drunk enough to spill his second-darkest secret (not that the other guy is much of a secret these days).

'He shouldn't tease you like that. I will have words with him when he's sober.' Thor's feet appear under the door. He's wearing socks with tacos on them. 'I didn't have my first kiss until I was eighty-five. Loki teased me about it for years. You have nothing to be ashamed of.'

'I know. Thanks.' With a sigh, Bruce stands up and unlocks the door. 'It's okay. I think I can deal with being laughed at.' The memory still makes him want to curl up and die, though.

Thor looks concerned as Bruce steps out. 'Come with me?' He holds out a hand. Bruce stares at it. Is he really so drunk Thor doesn't trust him to walk straight? But he takes it anyway, and is led down the long corridor - away from the others. Is he being sent to bed?

Thor stops at an alcove with a floor-to-ceiling window. The storm rages outside; lightning divides the New York skyline. 'I find storms calming,' he days simply. 'This is not one of mine, though.'

It's not Bruce's idea of calming, but Hulk eventually settles down so he can think straight again. Minutes pass whilst he tries to find his tongue. 'There just - there was never the right moment,' he says eventually. 'I was the nerd in high school, way too shy to talk to anyone. Then I was terrified of my dad finding out - I'd feel responsible if someone got hurt because of me.'

Thor turns to him as he talks, but Bruce keeps his gaze on the window. 'Then Dad killed Mom and went to jail, that kinda put me off the whole dating thing.' His hands itch for another drink as his throat closes up and goddamit he is not going to cry in front of Thor.

A large hand finds his shoulder. 'Bruce... you don't need to give me a reason. It's nobody's business but yours.'

He leans into the touch unthinkingly. 'After that I was only interested in my work. There was Betty, maybe that could've been something - but then the other guy showed up and that was that.'

Thor takes hold of his other shoulder too. 'Bruce, you are the cleverest man I know. You've survived untold hardships, yet it has only made you kind.' His eyes are so blue. Like a fizzy energy drink. 'Bruce-'

'You could kiss me.' The words are out of his mouth before he can snatch them back, and now Bruce really does want to disappear.

Thor quirks an eyebrow. 'I could, yes. Is that something you'd be interested in?'

Bruce swallows. 'Yeah. I've - I've thought about it. A lot.'

'As have I.' Something softens behind those blue eyes. 'Are you sure?' His breath smells like cherries. The same beverage Bruce was drinking. He leans in so close that all he can see is the blue of his eyes.

Bruce nods.

A cool hand cups his cheek, tilting his head up and oh god it's happening. 'It would be an honour,' he says softly, and kisses him. His lips are so soft as they press against his, hands drifting up to brush thumbs across his cheeks. It makes his whole body feel tingly and warm.

It's... a little gross in a way. but Bruce's heart pounds so hard the other guy raises his head and sniffs the air.

Thor pulls back, eyes shining. 'Better?'

Bruce is breathless. 'Maybe another, to be sure?'

He chuckles and pecks him on the cheek. 'Ask me again when your head is clearer.'

'I'm not drunk,' he protests, 'just tipsy.' But he lets Thor link their fingers together before leading them back down the corridor.

'Do you wish to return to the others?'

He sighed. 'Yeah, it's fine. I don't want to be that guy.' But he smiles when Thor keeps hold of his hand as they walk back and enter the room.

Clint has the grace to look sheepish. 'Hey Bruce, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean -'

Bruce picks up his glass, raises an eyebrow at Clint and finishes his drink.

Tony is staring at their linked hands. 'Thor, you didn't...?'

'Didn't what?' Thor looks back at him innocently.

Bruce sits back down in his preferred seat. Thor sits beside him. 'My turn. Never have I ever bought merch of myself.'

Tony, Clint, Steve and Natasha all guiltily take a drink.

Thor chuckles, slips an arm around Bruce's shoulders, and continues the game.

**Author's Note:**

> It's looking like I might make all 8! Or at least a decent seven. I love these soft bois <3


End file.
